Yarn dyeing machine



July 28, 1942. n- K. POOLE YARN DYEING MACHINE Filed Jun 5, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR DAY K; POOLE ATTORNEYS July 28, 1942. D. K. POOLE YARN DYEING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1940 5 SheejsvSheet 2 INVENTOR DAY K. POOLE 'A'r-rcRNEYS July 2.8, 1942. D. K. POOLE YARN DYEING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1940 5 Sheefs-Sheet 3 INVENTOR DAY K. POOLE- ATTORNEYQ July 28, 1942. D, POOLE 2,291,595

YARN DYEING MACHINE Filed June 5', 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' Fig.4

I BY DAY K. POOLE ATTORNEYS J mvnrron July 28, 1942. D. K. POOLE YARN DYEING MACHINE 5- Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 5, 1940 -llllll I L III ll INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I l l l l I I ||||||||ll||||l. r x l l l l l l l 11+llI ||..lT||lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! Patented July 28, 1942 Ainsworth D eing Machine Company, Utica, N. Y., a corporation of New York Inc,

Application June 5, 1940, Serial No. 338,966

(Cl. 682i)3) 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to a yarn dyeing machine and more particularly to a yarn dyeing machine where in practice the yarn is dyed gen erally but not necessarily intermittently as the yarn is being drawn by a winding machine from a series of cones generally of truncated form as produced by the yarn manufacturer, and said yarn after passing through or over the dyeing mechanism is rewound upon another series of spindles or cones forming a part of the winding machine in the factory or plant of the company which knits fabric from the rewound and dyed yard. Ainsworths Patent No. 1,27%,972 of Aug. 6, 1918, shows such a dyeing machine.

Since that patent a number of improvements or variations have been patented upon the dyeing mechanism .or machines and it is so thoroughly common practice to utilize the drawing of the yarn by the winding machine for producing the necessary movement of the yarn in the dyeing machine that further illustration of the winding machine has become unnecessary in a patent upon a yarn dyeing machine.

The purposes of my present invention are to provide a yarn dyeing machine which is of new and improved form, construction, combination of its parts and operation of the device and to provide such a machine which is more economical in construction, assemblage and repair and yet which is stronger and more sturdy and durable in construction and operation, and further to provide such a machine which is cleaner and especially more free from the leaking of the dyeing liquid or fluid, and also freer from the deposits upon the machine of the lint always present in the air in a factory where yarn is being rapidly moved, and to provide a machlne which prevents the accumulation or deposit of thislint upon parts of the dyeing machine close enough to the operating parts or to the moving yarn thereof as to overcome the liability of accumulations of such lintcatching upon the yarn or falling upon the yarn and being transferred on the yarn into the cone where the yarn is being rewound.

A further purpose is to provide covers or protectors over the workingmechanism of the different units of the dyeing machine for preventing the deposit upon the yarn of lint or the deposit of lint upon some parts of the machine close enough to be drawn to and upon the yarn. These covers or protectors are extensive enough to protect a whole unit and the covers are preferably made in sections with one section easily swinging up from its normal position so as to give access to the machine.

A further purpose is to provide in such a dyeing machine such a reorganization of the necessary parts of the machine as will tend to accomplish certain of the purposes above mentioned andparticularly to provide a construction which is simpler, cleaner, more durable in use and adapted to be operated longer without requiring cleaning of the machine.

Through the successive developments of yarndyeing machines of this type more mechanism has been mounted within or upon the tubular reservoir; in fact'up until my present invention it has seemed to be the practice to consider the tubular reservoir'as the structural element of the dyeing machine and to which tubular reservoir may be secured not onlythe means for carrying the dye-carrying felt wheels but all of the rest of the incidental parts that could be attached by screws or brackets or similar means or by such screws or brackets fastened along the length of the tubular reservoir. This has resulted in the tubular reservoir being a constant source of annoyance and repair and stoppage of the machine for repair or for cleaning. The tubular reservoir while being in effect a tube and so relatively strong for thus being the burden-bearer of the whole machine had walls so thin that every screw to be attached thereto required a hole to be first bored through the thin metal of the tubular reservoir, and then this hole tapped with a thread for the attachment of the desired bolt or screw. In view of the fact that the regular solvent of all these dyes or stains used in a dyeing machine is alcohol or some similar very penetrating solvent, it will be readily understood that all of these numerous holes required special treatment to prevent their quickly leaking. It has become the common practice to put special material around the threaded part of the screws or to put a quantity of white lead or the like under the head of the screw or the bracket held down by the screw in order to prevent leakage of the dye fluid. On the other hand the vibration of the moving parts of the machine, while not violent, is constant and tends to break the leak-proof quality of all of the joints upon the tubularreservoir. The leaks thus started allow the escape of the dye fluid which soon tends, even if the leak is small, to put a layer of dye material about the 1 outside of the tubular reservoir and about allthe parts connected thereto. If the leaks become larger through neglect or otherwise they form a source of considerable leakage of dye, and of even coating more quickly the outside of the tubular reservoir and its connected parts with the dye.

The solvent from the dye soon evaporates and leaves a thicker paint-like coating around the reservoir and its attached parts, which soon become loaded with the floating lint from the room and it becomes that much harder to keep the machine clean and free from dripping dye.

After the series of Ainsworth patents upon dyeing machines, one of the most decided improvements was that shown in the Coleman Patent 1,583,577 of May 4, 1926, upon a yarn dyeing machine where the felt dye-carrying wheels rotating on an axis transversely of th tubular reservoir were rotated by a longitudinal shaft located outside of the tubular reservoir (as distinct from within and even down in the dye as in some of the best previous machines), but even in this Coleman machine there was for every end or yarn being dyed a large hole out through the side of the tubular reservoir through which hole extended the horizontally arranged shaft extending out from said felt wheel to a point outside the reservoir wher it was operatively connected to th longitudinally extending driving shaft. Inner and outer screw-threaded blocks were provided surrounding said shaft to make a tight joint, but this series of holes through the side of the reservoir obviously added appreciably to the risk of leakag and obviously required a shutting down of the whole machine if repairs had to be made upon the mechanism of one unit. Some of the purposes of this present invention are to overcome the disadvantages and difficulties of previous machines along the line just indicated and aifirmatively it is one object of this invention to provide a construction wherein the dye-carrying felt wheels are mounted upon an axis above the top of the tubular reservoir and the felt wheels project down through an opening in the top of the reservoir into contact with the liquid dye and thus I avoid cutting through the sides of the reservoir for the passage therethrough of the short shaft carrying the dye wheel.

Furthermore in remedying many of the defects of preceding machines and as a positive improvement I have provided a yarn-dyeing machine wherein the tubular reservoir performs only its necessary function of being a reservoir for the liquid dye but ceases to be the mechanism-supporting and burden-carrying part of the machine because I provide separat strong structural frame members particularly well equipped to bear the strain of not only the weight but of the rotation of the various parts and which frame members support all of the parts composing the different units of the machine and said frame members even carry the weight of the tubular reservoir itself. From these strong frame members are supported, as will be hereinafter described, all of the pieces and parts of th units of the machine, providing convenient and ample support and attachment for all these parts without having to puncture the tubular reservoir with a single hole (except of course the slot in the top of the reservoir for each of the felt wheels to project downwardly therethrough). These supporting frame members also furnish convenient support for th covers over the several units and particularly for the pivotal support of one-half of each pair of covers of a unit. By thus completely reorganizing a dyeing machine of this character I have been able to provide a more economical machine to build in the first place and particularly a more convenient machine to assemble, and I also provide a more durable machine in operation, meaning thereby either for normal operation of all the units or for repair of any particular unit when such occasion comes.

With my machine it is entirely practicable to readily take out of operation any given unit without having to stop the whole machine. When the parts of a unit have been thus disconnected they can be repaired or another unit substituted and replaced on the machine either without stopping the machine at all or under some circumstances, with a very short stoppage of the usual continuous operation of the machine.

Further purposes and advantages of my invention will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a unit of a yarn dyeing machine embodying my invention, the section shown being mostly along the axis of the felt wheel and its short transverse shaft, that is substantially along the line II of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a unit of the machine shown in Fig. 1, but with the protecting covers of the unit removed to better show the details of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the machine on line 33 of Fig. 2 and looking towards the left, that is towards the side of the unit, so as to show better th arrangement of the frame members and their attached parts for supporting the parts of the unit and even the tubular reservoir. The movable cover is swung to its upward position.

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view showing the longitudinal frame of my yarn dyeing machine adjacent one of the dyeing units, with the other frame members adjacent that unit, but omitting th covers and th parts mounted thereon, and showing the adjacent portion of the tubular reservoir only diagrammatically by long dash lines and with one corner of the top plate cut away and a part of the side frame member under said cut away part of the top plate being also eliminated in order to show more plainly the shape of one end of a bolster.

Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of one unit of the machine with the covers down in place and showing in dotted lines the outline of certain of the principal parts of the unit that are under cover. Said view also shows the near edges of the covers of the units to both sides of this unit.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the central section of the upper portion of the swinging cover separate from the rest of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on line 1| of Fig. 6 but showing the swinging cover in engagement with the fixed cover and held there by the spring catch 15.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description it will be seen that the machine has two strong, longitudinally extending vertically arranged side frame members Ill and II, long enough to support the desired number of dyeing units, it being understood that the said side frame members It] and II will be suitably rigidly supported at their opposite ends either by separate supporting means therefor or more commonly by the proper parts of the frame of the yarn winding machine upon which the dyeing machine is assembled, and by suitable supports provided along the longitudinal frame intermediate its ends.

Beside these side frames l9 and II the machine as a .whole has the usual tubular reservoir I3 of the proper length for the number of units included in the machine, and a longitudinally extending drive shaft I4 for driving the dye-applying means hereinafter shown as the several dyecarrying felt Wheels I5, one for each unit of the machine. A unit of the machine is understood tube the parts necessary for applying in the usual intermittent way (or non-intermittent way if desired) thedye from the reservoir I3 to the dyewheel I5 and to the length or end of yarn being passed over the dye-wheel I5.

For each unit of the dyeing machine there is provided an arch-shaped top plate I2 and a pair of .spaced bolsters I6. The opposite endsof the topplate I2 rest down upon the top of the frame members I and II and the arch-shaped bottom I! fits throughout the length of the plate upon the curved upper side of the tubular reservoir I3. Each bolster I6 has the upper face of its opposite ends bear directly against the lower edge of the two side frame members I 0 and II while the central portion of the said bolster has an upwardly extending part I8 in the-top of which there is a curved longitudinally extending groove or recess I9 adapted to fit and placed so as to set against the curved bottom of the reservoir I3.

Just within each side frame II] or I I near each corner of the top plate I2 is placed a headed bolt 20, the enlarged head of which bears against the bottom face of the bolster I at that end of the top plate while the adjacent shank portion of the said bolt 2|] extends up through a hole 2I provided near the opposite ends of said bolster. The upper ends of each of these bolts is screwthreaded and projects into a threaded hole 22 or the mechanicalequivalent provided in the top plate. I2 just inside the side members I9 or II. It will be seen that when these bolts 29 and the bolsters I6 and the top plate I2 are assembled and the bolts tightened up, the said reservoir will be rigidly located and securely held in place by the said side frame members I0 and II and the said bolsters and top plate I2 will also berigidly supported in place by said side frames I0 and .I I and that said bolsters and top plate I2 are thus secured without any apertures having to beprovided through the reservoir for the location or support of said bolsters or top plate, and particularly that said bolsters and especially the top plate are well adapted to provide parts and rests and supporting elements for the attachment thereto of all the other necessary parts of the unit of the machine without having to make holes, slits or apertures of any kind into the wall of the reservoir. The central right hand portion of the top plate I2 is provided with a thickened ridge upstanding from the bottom line of the said plate I2 to provide in the upper portion of said ridge a transversely extendinghole' 24 extending from end to end thereof andiforming a' bearing for the location therein of the short transverse shaft 25 upon the inner endlof which is supported the felt dye-carrying wheel I 5. The mounting of said dye wheel on said inner end of the shaft is commonly had by the extreme inner or left hand end of said shaft being of a reduced diameter so as to form a shoulder 26 on the inner large part of the shaft against which may first be set a metal or other suitable washer 21, and then the said felt wheel I5 and then a retaining nut 28 which is clamped against the said wheel by being screwed up upon the threaded extremity at the inner end of the inner small portion of said shaft 25. The portion of the arch-shaped plate I2 that is to be adjacent said dye wheel I5 is provided with a box-like rectangular-shaped housing 29 surrounding said dye Wheel I5 and open at its bottom and also at its top. The bottom opening of this housing 29 coincides with the slot 30, formed in the-top of the reservoir I3 and extending longitudinally of said reservoir for the purpose of having the lower portion of said dye wheel I5 project downwardly through said slot 30 into the dye, which in practice nearly fills the reservoir so that the dye wheel, by having its lower portion project down into the dye more or less as shown in Fig. 1, is wellsupplied with dye. The upper portion .of the wheel projects above the top of the housing 29 so that-the yarn 3| passing crosswise of the dyeing machine and cross-wise of the upper part of the said dye wheel I5 may receive dye from said wheel when the said yarn is allowed to drop against the wheel in an obvious manner by the rotation of the projecting wings 32 successively bringing them to horizontal position, as the knocker shaft 33is rotated. It will be seen that the said housing 29 forms a complete guard all about the central and larger portion of the felt dye wheel I5 and, by reason of the tight fit and the suitable sealing as by white lead or the like of the arch-shaped plate I2 upon the reservoir I3 adjacent the slot 39 in the tubular reservoir at the bottom of said housing 29, the escape of any of the dye liquid around the wheel is prevented even though there might be at times a surging action along the top of the liquid in the reservoir.

The outer or right hand end of the transverse shaft 25 is provided with a miter wheel 34 in engagement with a similar miter wheel 35 on the drive shaft Id. It will now be seen that "I have provided a dyeing machine construction of the type indicated where the dye wheel I5 is mounted on a shaft above the reservoir and extending transversely thereof but without said shaft having to project into the reservoir and without the reservoir having to be punctured for fastening the bearing of said shaft in place relative to the reservoir.

Spaced longitudinally respecfively from the outer ends of the top plate I2 and on the right hand half of the machine as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, there are provided two cover-supporting brackets-36 which conveniently are formed as metal plates more or less of the shape shown in side elevation in Fig. 3 Each plate is of somewhat irregular shape and has formed, preferably integral therewith, an outstanding bracket 31 towards its bottom and on its outer surface, viz. its vertical face that is away from the plate I2. At its lower right hand corner as shown 'in Fig. 3 the plate 36 is provided with a notch 38 forming a downwardly facing step adapted. to bear direcly against the top edge of the right hand frame member H, the other side of the notch providing a shoulder adapted to bear against the inner face of the frame member II near its top. On the left hand lower portion; of the plate 35 as seen in Fig. 3 there is provided a curved face 49 fitting closely against the adjacent outer circular face of the reservoir I3. A bolt 4I has its head below an apertured ear 42 projecting from the side of the bolster I6, with theshank of said bolt 4| going up through said ear 42 and having its upper end screw-threaded and engaging the screw-threaded aperture inthe ear 31 on the plate 35. In this way the bracket plate 36 is securely and rigidly locked so that its upper edge 43 is n the same level as the top;

of the housing 29. The other cover-supporting bracket 36 consists of a similarly shaped and secured plate beyond the other longitudinal end of the top plate !2, of which only the uper edge 43 and its corresponding integral bracket 31 appear in Fig. 2. As best appears in Fig. 2 the two cover-supporting brackets 36 are provided on their inner faces, at their tops, with inwardly extending ears 44 either in the form of two closely spaced ears or one wide ear on each bracket plate 39 so as to provide holes 41 spaced inwardly from the bracket plates 36, which holes 41 are screw-threaded and as shown hereinafter, are utilized in fastening the fixed cover down in place and preferably incidentally also the holes upon one cover-supporting bracket are utilized for fastening in place the yarn guides hereinafter described.

Resting flat upon the upper edges 43 of the plates 86 and upon the upper faces of the ears 44 is placed the main and fiat portion 48 of the fixed cover 49. An edge view of this cover 49 appears in Fig. 3, which edge view also shows the curved and down-turned portion 59 of the cover extending out over the drive shaft l4 and the miter gears 34 and 35 on the transverse shaft 25 and drive shaft 14 respectively. The holes 41 already mentioned in the two ears 44 and appearing in Fig. 2, are to receive the shanks of headed screws 49 that project down through aligned holes formed in the said flat portion 48 of the fixed cover 49. Preferably the inner edge 52 of the cover 49 also rests upon the near side of the upper surface of the housing 29 and in practice this edge of the cover may project up very close to the near face of the dye wheel l5, as plainly appears in Fig. 3. In this Fig. 3 there appears, in its upswung position, the other or movable cover 53. In Fig. 3 an end or edge view of this movable cover appears, and in Fig. 1 the said cover appears in transverse sectional view, in its normal or down position. This cover may most conveniently be formed of a piece of sheet brass or other suitable material pivotally mounted at its lower and outside or left hand side as the cover appears in Figs. 1 and 3. This pivotal mounting may conveniently be formed by the lower left hand portion of the two ribs 54, which follow the inner face f said swinging cover 53 and are rigidly secured thereto, being loosely pivoted on a hinge rod 55, which is in turn mounted towards its opposite ends upon the left hand bracket plates 56. These bracket plates 56 are very similar, except in size, to the bracket plates 36 already mentioned in that the bracket plates on this left hand side of the machine as shown in Fig. 3, have a notch in their lower face whereby the lower face is definitely located against the upper face of the left hand frame member H3 at the inner side of the said frame member. The inner ends of these bracket plates 56, as plainly appears in Fig. 3, have a curved face 58 adapted to and closely bearing against the adjacent curved outer face of the reservoir [3. These bracket plates 56 are each provided with an outstanding ear 59 having a screwthreaded aperture which receives the screwthreaded upper end of a headed bolt 69, the head of which bears against the bottom face of the apertmed ear 6| projecting outwardly from each bolster [6 at the ends of the unit.

From the hinged lower edge of the cover 53, the said cover projects directly upwardly until it reaches about the level of the lower part of shaft 33, where the said cover is curved to the right, but still extending upwardly, until it comes to a point directly above said. shaft 33, from which point the cover extends horizontally straight to the right as shown in Fig. 1, well above the rotating wings 32 and also well above the dye-carrying wheel I5. Beyond the dyecarrying wheel this swinging cover curves downwardly and has a short vertical portion reaching to the fixed cover 49. At the lower end of said vertical portion the movable cover is provided with an outwardly extending and horizontally disposed flange 39, which flange is adapted to rest down flat upon the fixed cover 49 a little way to the right of the inner edge 52 thereof. It will now be seen that the fixed cover 49 and the movable cover 53 form a very effective covering and guard extending over the parts of the dyeing unit that are movable, such as the shaft 33 and its wings 32, and over the dye wheel l5, and over the surfaces of the dyeing unit upon which lint is most apt to gather. These two covers also extend well beyond the adjoining stationary or movable parts of this unit of the dyeing machine and in that way protect the unit that much more from the deposit of lint thereupon.

The extent of the fixed cover and of the swinging cover is shown in the transverse sectional view Fig. 1, and in the end view Fig. 3. The lengthwise extent of the two covers however is plainly shown in Fig. 5 by solid lines for both the fixed cover 49 and the swinging cover 53. From this showing in Fig. 5 it will be particularly noted that both covers extend well beyond the cover-supporting members 39 and thus serve as a wider reaching lengthwise protection against the deposit of lint on any part of the unit of the dyeing machine. Furthermore it will be noted that the swinging cover when in its normal or down position very thoroughly protects the dye wheel l5 itself from lint and also protects the nearby upper edge of the housing 29 from deposit of lint thereon, which is especially advantageous because accumulations of lint on the upper edge of the housing 29 might easily drop over into the opening of the housing about the dye wheel and then the dye-moistened lint might adhere to the periphery of the dye wheel and become attached to the yarn 3| passing across the dye wheel. Such clots of dye-saturated lint are particularly objectionable when deposited upon the passing yarn 3| as they make a bad spot upon the yarn and an enlargement thereon which is carried by the dyed yarn on to the receiving cone and there the dye from the slub of dye-saturated lint is transferred to adjacent lengths of yarn for several layers and produces a darker colored spot due to the excess of dye present. It will be noticed that both the covers and the downwardly extending overhanging parts on the outer edges thereof protect the dyeing unit from lint that may be carried laterally of the machine. Furthermore not only are the two halves of the cover of a dyeing unit longer than the longitudinal extent of the dyeing mechanism proper, but as is plainly shown in Fig. 5 the covers of the different units of the dyeing mechanism on a dyeing machine are practically continuous lengthwise of the machine. The covers of one unit come to within 65 of an inch of meeting the covers of adjoining units lengthwise of the machine. In this way it will be seen that any given unit of the dyeing mechanism is protected not only by its own set of covers but is protected also by the covers of the adja- 'centunits lengthwise of the dyeing. machine, so that there is really no opportunity for linti to be deposited'on a unit through air currents pass ingjlengthwiseof the dyeing machine. In fact thecovers of the adjoining dyeing units come just as close together as they can and still allow for theupward swinging of the movable cover orfor the'separate assembling or disassambling of-the several units of the dyeing machine. The space between adjoining covers of adjacent units is so slight that no lint can in practice pass downward therethrough, but the operatives in cleaning the dyeing machine can wipe the tops of the covers lengthwise of a considerable part of the dyeing machine and entirely ignore the very slight space of appreciably less than of an inch between the covers of adjoining units. As-both the fixed cover 49 and the swinging cover 53'are composed of either flat or smoothly curved polished surfaces, it will be evident that lint deposited on top of or against any of the outer surfaces of these covers can be readily removed even when the machine is in operation. Also the swinging cover can be readily swung to its upper position, thus exposing all of the knock'er device and its shaft, and the adjacent side of the housing 29 and of the reservoir for the cleaning of those parts when necessary.

Located on top of the fixed cover G9 is a bracket 62, angle-shaped in transverse section. The horizontal web 83 of the bracket rests flat upon the fixed cover and is secured in-place as by headed screws 33 projecting therethrough conveniently down into the holes ll already mentioned as provided in the upper side of the ears 44. Conveniently these screws thus serve not only to hold this bracket 62 in place but also to hold the fixed cover.

From the upstanding web 64, towards its outer and right hand end as seen in Fig. 1, there extends horizontally a long yarn guide 65, beneath which runs the yarn 3| being dyed. The outer end of this long guide 65 is bent upward (see Fig. 5 near numeral 65) for convenience in threading the yarn upon the dyeing machine. To the left of the long yarn guide 65 as the parts are seen in Fig. 1 there is provided upon the upstanding web 64 of the bracket 62 a swingingly mounted arm 65 carrying at its inner end a shorter yarn guide 6?, which projects horizontally for a short distance and then has its outer end turned up as suggested by the angular arrangement of said guide 37 in Fig. 5. The said arm 66 is pivoted at its outer end to the said web 64 as by a screw 68 projecting through the arm 56 into the web 59. A slot 99 is provided in the arm 66 just to the right of the shorter yarn guide 67 and a headed screw 19 projects through this slot into the web 64 whereby, in an obvious manner, after the arm 96 has been set to the right position vertically to give the correct adjustment to the shorter yarn guide 61 the setting up of said screw i9 will hold said arm and thereby said shorter yarn guide permanently in desired position.

Through the portion of the swinging cover 53 that is above the level of the flange 39 of said cover and above the level of the knocker shaft 33 there is provided a slot H for the passage, transversely of said cover, of the yarn 3| being dyed by the machine. At both ends of this slot there are provided enlargements l2 and T3 at the right hand and left hand ends respectively as seen in Fig. 1 which allow for the up and yarn is raised .by the knocker wings 32. andal lowed to. fall again .againstthe dye wheel I51 As a further precaution againstlint descende ing through this slot onto thev yarn beneaththe' cover, said slot slants to the left as itv extends upwardly from the said enlargements Hand 13,. as appears by the separate side view Fig. 6 of: the movable cover 53. It will thus be seen thatv lint that may happen to drop through thehorizontal portion of the yarn slot 'II that extends.

In my machine the tubular reservoir is not. subjected to the strain or vibration of havingLto' support the driving shaft or having to beperfo rated to have mounted thereon brackets for the,

support of the driving. shaft. In my machine the longitudinally extending frame and especially the side frame member I I has rigidly secured thereto and projecting therefrom brackets 18 which at.

their upper outer ends carry bearings, preferably ball bearings 79, for the support of the drive. shaft M. The lower ends of these brackets have inverted L-shaped plates, the short ends of which angle-shaped plates rest flat upon the top surfaces of this side frame member ll while the longer angle of the plate engages the outer face of the said frame member and is securely bolted thereto.

In a similar manner the other side frame member of the longitudinal frame provides support for the knocker shaft 33, as by having a similar bracket 89 carry suitable bearings at its upper end for said knocker shaft while the lower part of said bracket has a similar L-shaped plate, the long leg of which bears flat against the whole outside face of this side frame member ID and is secured thereto by suitable screws or bolts while the short arm of the L-shaped plate of the brackets rests solidly against the top surface of this frame member.

In practice the swinging cover 53 is held firmly down in its lowered position, preferably by spring operating catches conveniently consisting of tapered pins 15 projecting downwardly from the flange 39 of said cover 53. The pins 15 have recesses 16 in their outer sides immediately below the said flange 39. These pins project into openings 11 provided in the fixed cover immediately below said pins at or near the edge. As the outer sloping sides of these pins engage the outer edge of the opening 11 in the fixed cover the parts of the swinging cover carrying the pins are sprung away until the recesses come opposite the metal of the fixed cover, when the said pins can spring outwardly or to the right as the machine is seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 7.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a yarn-dyeing machine for use in a lintladen atmosphere, the combination of a horizontally arranged tubular reservoir having a restricted longitudinal slot in its upper portion, a top plate fitting down upon the top of the reservoir and having an upright box-like housing open at its top and bottom and having its open bottom registering with the said slot in the reservoir.

said top plate having a transverse bearing extending from one exterior side of the plate to said housing on a level above the reservoir, a

down movement of the yarn.beingdyed, as the shaft mounted in said bearing and having its inner end extending into the chamber of said housing, a dye wheel placed in said housing through the open top thereof and mounted on the inner end of said shaft and with its upper portion projecting above the top of the housing and with its lower portion projecting downwardly through said slot into the reservoir, means for rotating said shaft, knocker means for moving the yarn into and out of engagement with said dye-Wheel, and a protector extending over said knocker means, said dye-wheel and said open-topped housing and preventing the deposit of lint upon said dye-wheel and into the open top of said housing.

2. In a yarn-dyeing machine for use in a lintladen atmosphere, the combination of a horizontally arranged tubular reservoir having a restricted longitudinal slot in its upper portion, a top plate fitting down upon the top of the reservoir and having an upright box-like housing open at its top and bottom and having its open bottom registering with the said slot in the reservoir, said top plate having a transverse bearing extending from one exterior side of the plate to said housing on a level above the reservoir, a shaft mounted in said bearing and having its inner end extending into the chamber of said housing, a dye wheel placed in said housing through the open top thereof and mounted on the inner end of said shaft and with its upper portion projecting above the top of the housing and with its lower portion projecting downwardly through said slot into the reservoir, means for rotating said shaft, knocker means for moving the yarn into and out of engagement with said dye wheel, and an inverted trough-like protector extending up over said knocker and said dye wheel and having its opposite depending sides provided with apertures for the free normal passage therethrough of the yarn to and from said knocker and said dye wheel, said protector shielding said dye wheel and said open-topped housing from the deposit of lint thereon and therein.

3 In a yarn-dyeing machine the combination of a horizontally disposed longitudinally extending main weight-carrying and strain-bearing frame, a tubular reservoir horizontally arranged adjacent said frame and having a restricted longitudinal slot in its upper portion but with its sides otherwise imperforate, other frame members carried by said main frame and clampingly engaging said reservoir and holding it in place, said other frame members including a top plate fitting down upon the top of the reservoir and having an upright box-like housing having its open bottom registering with the said slot in the reservoir, said top plate having a transverse bearing extending from one exterior side of the plate to said housing on a level above the reservoir, a shaft mounted in. said bearing having its inner end extending into the chamber of said housing, a dye wheel located in said housing and mounted on the inner end of said shaft and with its upper portion projecting above the top of the housing. and means for rotating said shaft.

DAY K. POOLE. 

